Category: Commerce Years

Secretary Hoover had this small radio receiver installed in his home in order that he could better understand the complaints received by the Commerce Dept. from citizens with similar equipment. By Thomas F. Schwartz An old joke in the media industry is to indicate to something that they have “a face for radio.” I have … Continue reading A Face for Radio

by Spencer Howard One of the most interesting documents at the Hoover Library is a handwritten, five-page personal letter from King Albert of Belgium to Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. A transcript of the entire letter can be found at https://hoover.archives.gov/KingAlbertltr.pdf. King Albert wrote to ask Hoover to intervene with the U.S. Shipping Board on behalf … Continue reading A Letter from a King

When President Harding was inaugurated in 1921, a sharp recession was underway that had begun the year before. By mid-1921, some five million people were out of work - perhaps 12% of the workforce. Concerns arose about the possibility of widespread hardship through the coming winter, and it was Harding's Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, … Continue reading The President’s Conference on Unemployment – 1921

From the left: Anton Fokker, Herbert Hoover, F. Trubee Davison and Edward Warner Those of a certain age have fond memories of Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strip. Among the memorable characters that lived out his fantasies was Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy. A reoccurring fantasy was being a World War I fighter pilot in a Sopwith … Continue reading Hoover “Meets the Fokker”

On January 31, 1921, a five-masted schooner was spotted aground on Diamond Shoal, off the coast of North Carolina, with sails set but no sign of the crew. Due to high seas, the Coast Guard was unable to identify or board the ship until February 4. When finally boarded, the ship was determined to be … Continue reading The Wreck of the Carroll A. Deering

In the summer of 1923 President Harding left Washington D.C. to travel across the country and visit the U.S. territory of Alaska. He initiated the visit to Alaska - feeling that Washington, with its great distance from Alaska, could never have a proper appreciation of their problems if they were only presented on paper. Harding wanted … Continue reading Alaska and the Voyage of Understanding

During and after World War I, Herbert Hoover led two great humanitarian organizations, the Commission for Relief in Belgium and the American Relief Administration. Of special concern to both organizations was the plight of children in war-ravaged Europe, and under Hoover's direction over 15 million children received food, clothing, and other assistance. Hoover realized that … Continue reading Child Health Day